Collection of 10 albumen CDVs. Various photographers and locations, ca. 1863-5. Several mounts feature photographer's imprints, canceled US Internal Revenue stamps and modern research identifications.

This highly visual collection features 10 cartes-de-visite dedicated exclusively to Union soldiers proudly wearing their distinctive corps badges. The archive presents a superb study of how these insignias were worn in the field and the studio, ranging from discreetly pinned badges on vests to prominent metallic devices on caps and coats. The reverses of the mounts offer a wealth of information, including prestigious photographer's backmarks from Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., alongside period inscriptions and modern research notes identifying specific corps designations.

Instituted initially by Gen. Joseph Hooker in the Army of the Potomac to boost morale and aid in battlefield identification, corps badges quickly became a fierce point of pride for the veteran soldiers of the Union army. Groupings that focus heavily on the diverse shapes and styles of these badges — such as the heart, star, diamond and varied crosses — are highly prized by specialized collectors.

This lot includes: 

1. Seated portrait of two men, one in uniform and one in dark civilian attire who is prominently displaying a heart-shaped 24th Corps badge on his coat, with a Boston photographer's imprint and a canceled revenue stamp on the reverse.

2. Half-length seated portrait of an officer, inscribed on the reverse as a lieutenant of the 153rd New York Infantry, prominently wearing a fan-like cross 19th Corps badge on his coat.

3. Group portrait of three officers, two seated and one standing, with the standing officer clearly displaying a star-shaped 12th or 20th Corps badge on his chest, featuring a Baltimore backmark.

4. Three-quarter length standing portrait of an officer holding his dark cap, proudly wearing a diamond-shaped Third Corps badge on his left breast, with a New Haven, Connecticut, imprint.

5. Three-quarter length standing portrait of an officer posing with his hand tucked into his coat, wearing what appears to be a Greek cross Sixth Corps badge on his chest, with a Henry Ulke, Washington, D.C., backmark.

6. Seated portrait of an officer wearing a striking light-colored military cape, with a cross-shaped corps badge pinned to his dark frock coat beneath, featuring a Philadelphia backmark.

7. Seated portrait of an officer wearing an open frock coat, with a cross-style badge visible on his vest, identified on the reverse as Lewis Bradford with a Boston photographer's imprint and revenue stamp.

8. Full-length standing portrait of a soldier holding his forage cap at his side, clearly displaying a Maltese cross Fifth Corps badge on the top of the cap, noted on the reverse as Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps.

9. Vignetted bust portrait of a captain wearing a forage cap, prominently displaying Maltese cross Fifth Corps badges on both his cap and his coat, with notes suggesting the 95th New York Infantry.

10. Full-length standing portrait of a non-commissioned officer wearing a sash and holding a sword, explicitly noted on the reverse as wearing a Greek cross Sixth Corps badge.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Albumen Photographs, CDVs, Carte de Visites, Cartes de Visite, Carte-de-visite, Cartes-de-visite, CDV, Cabinet Cards, Stereoviews, Stereocards]

The images range from good to very good condition. The albumen surfaces exhibit varying degrees of age-related fading, minor surface wear and the soft tonality typical of period photography, but all retain strong clarity that allows the individual badges to be studied.